This is a Christian blog dealing with various issues. “Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right.” -Charles Spurgeon. Scripture is my authority for all things regarding to life and godliness. 2 Cor. 10: 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

First off, there's no such thing as a homosexual marriage. This is just another way the liberal media is trying so incredibly hard to push their agenda down our throats.

Marriage, by the Creator's definition is: one man and one woman in an exclusive, monogamous relationship that foresakes all others.

Like Adam and Eve. That was the first wedding ever recorded. Its in the opening pages of the Holy Bible. Others are mentioned in Scripture, and interestingly, the Scripture ends in a marriage feast.

Gen 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Marriage is a beautiful thing. Most importantly, it reflects in many ways, of the believer's relationship with Christ Jesus:

Eph 5:22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.Eph 5:24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

Eph 5:28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.Eph 5:29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,Eph 5:30 because we are members of his body.Eph 5:31 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."Eph 5:32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.Eph 5:33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

2Co 11:2 I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

Rev 21:2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.Rev 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [See also Rev. 19:7-9].

This is why, I believe, God hates homosexuality. It distorts and twists His creation of marriage, which ultimately is a slap in the face to Him. It turns what is beautiful and a reflection of our relationship with God, into something unholy, vile, and wicked. It dishonors God.

One of the reasons why God rightly destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah was that they practiced homosexuality:

Gen 18:20 Then the LORD said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave

Gen 19:5 And they called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them."Gen 19:6 Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him,Gen 19:7 and said, "I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly.

Gen 19:24 Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven.Gen 19:25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

Jer 23:14 But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah."

1Co 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,

1Ti 1:10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,

1Co 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,

God sees homosexuality as an evil, illegitimate relationship which goes directly against His command. It is the result of a hardened, sinful, unbelieving heart. To enter heaven, one must repent of his sin (including homosexuality and all immorality), and turn to Christ Jesus alone for the forgiveness of those sins, and for eternal life. Sin requires judgement: it was either taken by Christ on your behalf or it will be personally required of you in hell. No matter the sin--"little" or "big". One sin earns death and hell. But the free gift of God is eternal life, found solely in His Son, Christ, and not of our own works.

Back to Mr. Studds....

What irked me was the double standard given to Studds in the majority-ruled House and how they Democrats today want the blood of Speaker Hastert.

One year after getting into office, Studds took advantage of a 17 year old page and had sex with him. He attempted to molested others as well. TEN years AFTER this, the House decided to move to censure Studds and Studds kept his job for another 14 years.

Where was the call for Tip O'Neil's resignation back then? Where was the accusation of O'Neil covering up information?

Dennis Hasterts dealt with Mark Foley. He was removed. Not censured so he could continue to work around pages. No, he was REMOVED from his position. So now the Democrats have the shoe on the other foot and are suddenly outraged over emails? Over advances? Folely, as we know it so far, did not have sex with underaged pages. Studds did. In my state, this would constitute rape, consenual or not.

The double standard is glaring. Worse, it shows a lack of care and concern for the victims of Studds. And don't get me wrong. Foley needed to leave. What he did was absolutely inappropriate. He needs punishment. But there are others I wonder about. Where was the cry for blood by the Democrats back then? Suddenly they cry foul now, but when their own guy was found guilty of WORSE things, they didn't demand he skip town and loose the job. Nope.

Where was John Murtha back in the 70's? Why didn't he call for the removal of Studds AND O'Neil?Where was Steny Hoyer?Where was John Dingell?Where was Robert Byrd?Where was William J. Coyne?Where was Ted Kennedy?Where was Barney Frank?

A proven sexual preditor kept his job in the House. An accused email predator is told to get out of Dodge.

Saturday, October 07, 2006

(Newton's letter on "Blemishes in Christian character")"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble." 1 Peter 3:8'Austerus' is a solid and exemplary Christian. He has a deep, extensive, and experimental knowledge of Divine things. Inflexibly and invariably true to his principles, he stems with a noble singularity the torrent of the world, and can neither be bribed nor intimidated from the path of duty. He is a rough diamond of great intrinsic value, and would sparkle with a distinguished luster--if he were more polished. But, though the word of God is his daily study, and he prizes the precepts, as well as the promises, more than thousands of gold and silver, there is one precept he seems to have overlooked--"be compassionate and humble." Instead of that gentleness and humility which will always be expected from a professed follower of the meek and lowly Jesus, there is a harshness in his manner, which makes him more admired than beloved; and those who truly love him, often feel more constraint than pleasure when in his company. His intimate friends are satisfied that he is no stranger to true humility of heart; but these are few. By others he is thought proud, dogmatic, and self-important; nor can this prejudice against him be easily removed, until he can lay aside that cynical air which he has unhappily contracted.How lamentable are such blemishes in such a person!

I pray that the Lord would continue to help me find the balance of uncompromisingly standing for Truth, being fierce when needed, and yet also having a heart of love for Him and reflecting that to others. Grace and truth is our Savior. I need it too.

To the church at Ephesus:

Rev 2:2 "'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary.4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

According to World Net Daily: "Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is backing a Church of England report that claims viewing God in masculine terms can validate "overbearing and ultimately violent patterns of behavior" in intimate relationships and "contributes to domestic abuse," the London Daily Mail reports. "

The report, entitled "Responding to Domestic Abuse, Guidelines for Pastory Responsibility" claims that "misguided" or distorted views of God, based on the Old Testament portrays Him and His power in "unhealthy and oppressive" ways. Things like crediting God with violent acts and atittudes "requires 'careful' interpretation, the report warns." Apparently this view of God, in addition to Him being male, is at the heart of some who want to validate their own violent and abusive behavior.

This anti-biblical, liberal garbage is not new. However it continues to perpetuate a few things:

1. Pagan/gnostic feminism; 2. abusers are not responsible for their own actions, and 3. an unclear reading of biblical texts. What Scripture says seems to be clouded in mystery, which only the RCC or EOD, apparently, can interpret for us. It also echoes "Hath God really said?" from the Devil himself.

I have quoted John MacArthur on the pagan and gnostic roots of feminism here. What comes to mind regarding the Church Of England (COE) and its archbishop's view (Rowan is an honorary druid), is that they are trying to blurr the line of who God claims to be: masculine and Sovereign owner of His creation. In doing so, they change God into who they want Him to be, and they also perpetuate the anti-male notions that man is bad, violent, and a caveman; woman is best, loving, gentle, and kind. Pagan feminism has at its roots these ideas, with the solution of woman being the savior of people. Of course, this is also a slap in the face of Jesus Christ as Creator God and only Savior.

Abusers aren't totally at fault for their behavior because they, apparently according to this liberal thinking, are only acting on what they think is true about God... and thus try to what, immitate Him?

First, abusers are always at fault for their abuse. God expects and indeed calls to account man's sin. To abuse another is sin. For example Exodus 21 covers this. Secondly, God doesn't abuse anyone. All punishment He gives is completely owed to the one who has disobeyed. Thirdly, abusers aren't interested in who God is and loving Him and following Him. Rather, they are all about Self and their wants/needs/desires/demands. So to lay abusers' behavior back on God is a pitiful arguement. This view ties in with the gnostic/feministic view of man versus women (see the article I reference above with quotes from MacArthur showing this very thing).

Scripture clearly reveals who God is (Scripture is inerrant and infallible, making wise the simple, as God says)

Personal masculine pronouns used for God

Psa 25:8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He instructs sinners in the way. 9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble His way.

Isa 40:10 Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and His arm rules for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him. 11 He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

Isa 45:18 For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is God!), who formed the earth and made it (He established it; He did not create it empty, He formed it to be inhabited!): "I am the LORD, and there is no other.

Gen 1:27 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Gen 5:2 Male and female He created them, and He blessed them and named them Man when they were created.

Deu 32:39 "'See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.

Psa 2:4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5 Then He will speak to them in His wrath, and terrify them in His fury….

Psa 150:1 Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens! [“Him” and “His” is used 13 times in this chapter of 6 verses.]

God refers to Himself as a bridegroom and husband:

Isa 62:5 For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. [See John 3:29.]

Rev 21:2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

God refers to Himself as a Father

Jer 31:9 With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

Psa 68:5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.

God is King

Psa 22:28 For kingship belongs to the LORD, and He rules over the nations.

“Father”, “Son”, “Prince” used in reference to Jesus Christ, who is God:

Isa 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

God the Father and Jesus the Son are masculine

Mat 1:21 She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).

Joh 5:20 For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all that He Himself is doing. And greater works than these will He show Him, so that you may marvel.

Heb 1:1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world.

Rev 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.

The Trinity is masculine:

Joh 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

As far as attributing violent acts to God, Scripture says the following:

God took credit for destroying the whole world and all but eight people on it

Gen 6:17 For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. [Gen. 7:17-24 we see that indeed it happened just as God said He would do it.]

God took credit for destroying Sodom and Gomorrah

Gen 19:28 And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace. 29 So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.

Mat 10:15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

2Pe 2:6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;

God took credit for bringing disaster upon Israel

2Chron. 7: 20 then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. 21 And though this temple is now so imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 22 People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why He brought all this disaster on them.’”

Jer 25:8 "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words, 9 behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the LORD, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.

Jer 25:10 Moreover, I will banish from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the grinding of the millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.[Indeed we see this happen in the historical book of Daniel.]

God took credit for moving kings to bring war to nations

Deut. 2: 30 But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to give him into your hands, as he has now done.

Josh. 11: 20 For it was the LORD Himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that He might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Prov. 21: 1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases.

God took credit for killing the firstborn in Egypt

Ex. 4: 4 So Moses said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. 5 Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. 6 There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again.

Ex. 12: 12 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.

Ex. 12: 29 At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well.

Note: God uses evil men for His purposes. However, at the same time, Scripture says that God lays the sin at the feet of each person. The balance between this is seen here:

John 19: ﻿11﻿ Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

Jer. 25:9 and 27:6 calls King Nebuchadnezzar "My servant" and uses him to destroy Judah, Israel, and Egypt. However, He later punishes Nebuchadnezzar, because his heart was filled with sin and unbelief. The good news is that Nebuchadnezzar was saved and given a new heart and faith and he praised God and was humbled by Him. See Daniel 4.

Jer 44: 2 “This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah. Today they lie deserted and in ruins 3 because of the evil they have done.

Acts 4:27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.

God destroys other nations:

Is. 14: ﻿24﻿ The LORD Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand. ﻿25﻿ I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountains I will trample him down. His yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.” ﻿26﻿ This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. ﻿27﻿ For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?

Rev. 17: 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish His purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God’s words are fulfilled.

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is immutable. He doesn't change like shifting shadows. The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament. God is love, patient, perfect, merciful, kind, gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love. He is also pure, holy, righteous, just. Because of this He must always deal with sinners and their sin. His attributes are not in opposition to each other but actually work in harmony; therefore we cannot omit the attributes we dislike and talk only of the ones we do. To ignore any of His attributes as if "that was God then, not now" is to reject the God of Scripture.

Here are a few other New Testament verses about God's coming wrath:

Rev 19:15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

2 Thes. 1: 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.

Act 5:9 But Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.

I suggest reading Jonathon Edward’s “Sinners In the Hands of An Angry God” here.

May such men like Archbishop Rowan take heed:

Heb 10:29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?Heb 10:30 For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

About Me

My name is Denise (aka "Surphing"). I grew up in the Charismatic movement, but God delivered me out of it, and I thank Him for that. My heart is to show other believers the error of various movements(e.g. the Word Of Faith, Seeker Friendly,Emergent Church movements, Reformed theology,etc.)I want to help them find truth through Scripture. I love the Word of God and hold it dear to my heart. It is the standard by which I filter everything, including (hopefully and most importantly) my own thoughts and actions.
There is One God, and within the One God there are three distinct, co-equal and co-eternal persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit(1Peter 1:2; Matt. 28:19; Matt. 3:16-17; John 14:16-17). Literal 6 day Creation is Truth.Scripture is infallible, inerrant, & God-breathed (2Tim. 3:16, Heb.4:12, Ps. 19 & 119). Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for the glory of God alone apart from any works (baptism, prayers, walking an aisle, etc.) so that no one can boast (Eph. 2:8-10). God is totally Sovereign in ALL things (Ps 33). I do mean ALL. Man is responsible for his sin. God is responsible for saving the elect through HIS means.